1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method of making a stamp by engraving a stamp image oriented in a different direction from an ordinary one on a stamp body orientation of which is difficult to discriminate, such as one of a square stamp and one of a circular stamp, and an apparatus therefor.
2. Prior Art
Conventionally, a stamp-making apparatus engraves a stamp image on a stamp body loaded in a pocket formed in a body of the apparatus. The stamp body is set in the pocket with a longer side of a stamp surface thereof on the bottom of the pocket due to limitations of the shape of the pocket, and accordingly, images to be engraved in the stamp body, such as letters, figures, and symbols, are also mainly written or formed laterally, i.e. in lateral lines. Further, the stamp body is printed with a mark indicative of a top side of the stamp surface, and this mark is utilized in imprinting a stamp on an object. On the other hand, when a stamp body is to be engraved with vertical lines of images to obtain a vertically-written stamp, it is also set with a longer side of a stamp surface thereof on the bottom of the pocket due to the above limitations. Then, images of the stamp to be engraved in the stamp body, such as images of letters, formed in lateral lines, are each rotated anticlockwise through 90 degrees and arranged in order from left to right, whereby lines of characters which should be stamped vertically for being read from top to bottom of each line are realized. It should be noted that throughout the specification including claims appended hereto, the term "vertically-written" means that characters including letters and symbols (or their images) are arranged in a line or lines which should be read from top to bottom (or head to tail) of each line after they are set vertically for reading, as found in Japanese or Chinese writing.
When the vertically-written stamp has a larger vertical dimension, it is easy to discriminate the orientation of the stamp, so that the above-mentioned mark need not be utilized to avoid an erroneous lateral orientation of the stamp before imprinting a stamp. On the other hand, in the case of a vertically-written square stamp, it is difficult to discriminate the proper orientation of the stamp from its shape, and hence the above mark is necessary. Conventional vertically-written square stamps are, however, orientated sideways with respect to a direction indicated by the mark as can be understood from the above. That is, the mark is positioned at a side of the vertical lines of stamp image. Therefore, if such a conventional vertically-written square stamp is used to imprint a stamp on an object with reference to the mark in the same manner as a laterally-written square stamp, the stamp formed is oriented sideways. Therefore, users are required to carefully discriminate between vertically-written square stamps and laterally-written square stamps before applying them onto an object, and they are troublesome and not easy to use. Further, in the case of a circular stamp, there is not only a possibility of an imprinted stamp image being oriented laterally, but also a high possibility of the imprinted stamp image being orientated in a different angle from a proper one, so that it is still more necessary to provide a mark on a stamp, which serves an accurate indication of the top side of a stamp surface of the stamp.